Southend United v Swindon Town

Last updated : 20 October 2008 By Shrimpers24

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Southend_United_FC.png v http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Swindon_Town_FC_2007_badge.PNG

BLUES

The Moose isn't playing. Good luck in beautiful Bucks Franck.

Harding isn't playing. Thank you Mr. Kettle.

Stockport was the hardest test in our recent little run and the fact was they were gaining more possession in the second half even before Dan's unfortunate dismissal. The next three games without him could be fun.

With away games to Scunthorpe and Bristol Rovers amongst that sequence three points against a struggling Swindon are vital. Tilly sees no reason to mess the side about too much, not that we have that much choice at the back!

Sankofa will start, (I hope at left back, Tilly's re-jig quote worries me a touch), and Shrimpers will study carefully how he looks for tougher tests to come, though Swindon have only lost once on the road.

If Dougie is fit wonderful, but I expect Revell to get another chance. Personally I'd give Walker a go, even Laurent got some rave reviews after the reserve game in Suffolk on Tuesday. (Though there is a rumour Revell has been injured in training so we may see another change after all.)

Speaking to Blues World Tilly said: "At the moment we are in amongst it which is credit to the lads and we are going in the right direction. The match will be a bit like Stockport in as much as Swindon are strong away from home. At the County Ground they seem to be under pressure but play with more freedom on the road so we have got to expect a tough game."

Tilly is giving Sankofa the opportunity to make his mark over the next three games until Harding's probable return against Leeds: "It is up to those players when they get the chance to take it. With Dan out we need to re-jig it in someway but as long as Osei is fit and healthy he will start. In my opinion systems don't win games players do and we have to concentrate on what we do and if we do that we don't have a problem. If you change the way you play to suit a side then you are weakening your hand in my opinion."

OPPOSITION

They thought it was all over but events at the County Ground seem as grim as ever with the prospect of falling into the bottom four at the weekend. Ohh, but look whose below them.

19Swindon Town 101047121317823514209-6
20Leyton Orient 1012259113382358179-9
21Colchester United 1002327203121422614218-7
22Yeovil Town 9041671033101449177-8

Manager Maurice Malpas took the unusual step of making every fit player available for reserve team duty on Tuesday night as he bids to eradicate the woeful home form which have seen them fail to pick up a single County Ground point since the opening day of the season. Malpas believes there may be a serious lack of confidence throughout his squad but warned that if the performances do not improve, he will approach chairman Andrew Fitton about bringing in some loan signings.

Speaking to the Swindon Evening Advertiser and the official site Malpas said: "How can I say I'm happy with the performances of the players and the results when we haven't won at home for four games?" he asked. "I can't sit here and say I'm happy and the players are playing great. I've got a great belief in what we're doing's correct, I've got a great belief in the squad, but sometimes I think my belief is far greater than theirs. I think our desires are slightly different and it's a case that we have to pull together and get through it. That will be the next stage. If I don't get a reaction from them after this or over the next three or four games then it will be time to go to the chairman and say I need to get other players in."

The Scot denied his players are lacking in effort and admitted that a couple of good performances and results could soon see the doom and gloom forgotten.

He continued: "I don't think any of our players are not trying and I don't think they're not desperate to do well - they're just in their shells a little bit. It's my job to get them out of their shell and perform in a manner that gets us results. It doesn't have to be pretty, but we need to get in that mental state and we need to get that determination that it doesn't matter what happens on or off the pitch, we'll get through it. A week is a long time in football - two, three games and it's amazing what can happen with one victory. And it's something we have to overcome."

Malpas has confirmed Captain Hansey Aljofree will return to the side for the trip to South Essex. Aljofree had missed the past two league games through illness but will make a comeback against the Blues. "Hansey has experience and it would not be a surprise to see him on the teamsheet. Patrick Kanyuka is also available whilst we have Sean Morrison and Jarel Ifil competing for central defensive places."

The Swindon boss then returned to his siege mentality theme: "I have picked the team to stand up and be counted. We have had a good run of results away from home and we have to continue that. Nothing comes easily to people - the key for this team will be hard, hard work. The number of points we have been getting has not been good enough for the Club. The points total we would have had wasn't thirty but it was a lot greater than nine. We will set ourselves targets now and we have to start hitting them because otherwise there will be even greater pressure." 2-0 Blues!

PREVIOUSLY

Played 107: Won 38 Drawn 24 Lost 45.

Some cracking games with the Robins over a long history that started in 1920.

Hat-tricks galore for United players at Roots Hall starting on Oct. 18 1930 with Jones along with Barnett and Shankly in a 5-3 win. Three years later on Oct. 21 1933 and it was McMahon who with a Lane penalty was the main man in a 4-1 victory. Along came the fifties and young Tippett of the Hall grabbed three in an amazing 8-2 win on Feb. 17 1951 being joined by a couple each for Davies and Grant and one for Lawler.

That ended the hat-tricks but the sixties brought a Firmani double on Sep. 24 1965; Gilfillan and a Nurse OG added the goals in a 4-2 result. (Read about a famous sixties cup win at www.thelittlegazette.com/news/loadsngl.asp?cid=EDY3&id=411891)

Fri. Mar. 16 1979 might bring back memories, a terrific eight goal thriller, Blues coming on top 5-3; Polycarpou (2), Stead, Laverick and a Morris penalty the scorers.

Roots Hall witnessed another thriller on Boxing Day 1984, only five goals this time, 3-2 to Southend, a Phillips penalty followed by Pennyfather and Whymark.

Nothing like that since but we are on our 6th succesive win against the team from Wiltshire after a LDV win and two consecutive league doubles. Barrett and Gower getting the goals in the 2-1 win here on Dec. 8 07, while Francis smashed home a great winner at their place on Mar. 24 earlier this year during that unbeaten run to the play-offs.

At Southend Utd. (54)At Swindon Town (53)
ResultsTotal%ResultsTotal%
Southend Utd.2953.70Swindon Town3260.38
Swindon Town1324.07Southend Utd.916.98
Draws1222.22Draws1222.64
GoalsTotalAv.pgGoalsTotalAv.pg
Southend Utd.1011.87Swindon Town1112.09
Swindon Town631.17Southend Utd.470.89
On Neutral Ground (0)Overall (107 matches)
ResultsTotal%ResultsTotal%
Southend Utd.00.00Southend Utd.3835.51
Swindon Town00.00Swindon Town4542.06
Draws00.00Draws2422.43
GoalsTotalAv.pgGoalsTotalAv.pg
Southend Utd.00.00Southend Utd.1481.38
Swindon Town00.00Swindon Town1741.63
Records
Highest Aggregate10Southend Utd. 8 - 2Swindon Town1950/1951
Highest Southend Utd. score:8Southend Utd. 8 - 2Swindon Town1950/1951
Highest Swindon Town score:6Swindon Town 6 - 1Southend Utd.2002/2003
SeasonDateHomeScoreAwayCompetition
2007/2008Mon 24 MarSwindon Town0 - 1Southend Utd.League One
Sat 08 DecSouthend Utd.2 - 1Swindon TownLeague One
2005/2006Fri 27 JanSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownLeague One
Sat 10 SepSwindon Town1 - 2Southend Utd.League One
2004/2005Tue 25 JanSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon Town(Associate Members)
2003/2004Tue 12 AugSouthend Utd.2 - 3Swindon TownLeague Cup
2002/2003Tue 22 OctSwindon Town6 - 1Southend Utd.(Associate Members)
2000/2001Tue 13 FebSouthend Utd.2 - 1Swindon Town(Associate Members)
after extra time, 90 minutes 1-1, Southend United won on the golden goal rule
1996/1997Sat 05 AprSwindon Town0 - 0Southend Utd.League Division One
Sat 31 AugSouthend Utd.1 - 3Swindon TownLeague Division One
1994/1995Sat 03 DecSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownLeague Division One
Sat 22 OctSwindon Town2 - 2Southend Utd.League Division One
1992/1993Wed 10 MarSouthend Utd.1 - 1Swindon TownLeague Division One
Sat 14 NovSwindon Town3 - 2Southend Utd.League Division One
1991/1992Sat 21 MarSwindon Town3 - 1Southend Utd.Second Division
Sat 09 NovSouthend Utd.3 - 2Swindon TownSecond Division
1985/1986Sun 12 JanSwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Fourth Division
Fri 30 AugSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownFourth Division
1984/1985Sat 06 AprSwindon Town2 - 0Southend Utd.Fourth Division
Wed 26 DecSouthend Utd.3 - 2Swindon TownFourth Division
1981/1982Tue 09 FebSwindon Town0 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
Mon 21 SepSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownThird Division
1979/1980Fri 29 FebSouthend Utd.1 - 0Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 20 OctSwindon Town1 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
1978/1979Fri 16 MarSouthend Utd.5 - 3Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 04 NovSwindon Town1 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
1975/1976Sat 06 MarSwindon Town0 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
Fri 31 OctSouthend Utd.3 - 0Swindon TownThird Division
1974/1975Fri 11 AprSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 05 OctSwindon Town2 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
1968/1969Sat 04 JanSwindon Town0 - 2Southend Utd.F.A. Cup
1965/1966Sat 19 MarSwindon Town4 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
Fri 24 SepSouthend Utd.4 - 2Swindon TownThird Division
1963/1964Wed 16 OctSwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.League Cup
1962/1963Sat 06 AprSouthend Utd.1 - 1Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 17 NovSwindon Town4 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division
1961/1962Sat 28 AprSouthend Utd.0 - 2Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 09 DecSwindon Town0 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
1960/1961Sat 11 FebSwindon Town1 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division
Sat 24 SepSouthend Utd.0 - 2Swindon TownThird Division
1959/1960Sat 19 MarSouthend Utd.1 - 3Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 28 NovSwindon Town2 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
1958/1959Sat 18 AprSouthend Utd.0 - 2Swindon TownThird Division
Sat 29 NovSwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division
1957/1958Wed 02 OctSwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Wed 25 SepSouthend Utd.2 - 3Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1956/1957Sat 16 FebSouthend Utd.1 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 06 OctSwindon Town3 - 2Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1955/1956Mon 02 AprSwindon Town1 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Fri 30 MarSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1954/1955Wed 20 AprSwindon Town0 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 04 SepSouthend Utd.4 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1953/1954Sat 30 JanSouthend Utd.3 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 09 JanSwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1952/1953Tue 02 SepSouthend Utd.3 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Wed 27 AugSwindon Town1 - 3Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1951/1952Sat 26 AprSwindon Town1 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 08 DecSouthend Utd.2 - 2Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1950/1951Sat 24 FebSouthend Utd.8 - 2Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Wed 29 NovSouthend Utd.0 - 3Swindon TownF.A. Cup
Sat 07 OctSwindon Town4 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1949/1950Sat 25 MarSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 05 NovSwindon Town2 - 2Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1948/1949Sat 01 JanSouthend Utd.3 - 4Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 28 AugSwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1947/1948Sat 28 FebSwindon Town0 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 11 OctSouthend Utd.1 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1946/1947Sat 10 MaySwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 12 OctSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1938/1939Sat 18 FebSwindon Town2 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 15 OctSouthend Utd.2 - 3Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1937/1938Sat 30 AprSwindon Town1 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 18 DecSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1936/1937Sat 30 JanSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 26 SepSwindon Town4 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1935/1936Wed 29 AprSouthend Utd.1 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 07 MarSwindon Town1 - 3Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1934/1935Sat 23 FebSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 13 OctSwindon Town5 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1933/1934Sat 03 MarSouthend Utd.4 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 21 OctSwindon Town1 - 4Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1932/1933Sat 08 AprSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Wed 01 MarSwindon Town2 - 2Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1931/1932Sat 27 FebSwindon Town1 - 2Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 17 OctSouthend Utd.3 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1930/1931Sat 21 FebSwindon Town1 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 18 OctSouthend Utd.5 - 3Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1929/1930Sat 15 MarSouthend Utd.3 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 09 NovSwindon Town5 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1928/1929Sat 27 AprSouthend Utd.1 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 15 DecSwindon Town3 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1927/1928Sat 28 AprSwindon Town0 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Wed 14 MarSouthend Utd.1 - 1Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1926/1927Sat 15 JanSouthend Utd.2 - 2Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 28 AugSwindon Town5 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1925/1926Sat 13 MarSouthend Utd.3 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Sat 31 OctSwindon Town2 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1924/1925Sat 21 MarSouthend Utd.0 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
Wed 24 SepSwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
1923/1924Wed 02 AprSwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 09 FebSouthend Utd.0 - 2Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1922/1923Sat 05 MaySwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Sat 28 AprSouthend Utd.2 - 0Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1921/1922Mon 17 AprSwindon Town6 - 1Southend Utd.Third Division (South)
Fri 14 AprSouthend Utd.1 - 2Swindon TownThird Division (South)
1920/1921Sat 18 SepSwindon Town3 - 0Southend Utd.Third Division
Sat 11 SepSouthend Utd.1 - 3Swindon TownThird Division

REF

The man in the middle is Gavin Ward from Sittingbourne.

This is his third visit to Roots Hall, we lost on penalties to Dag & Red in the JPT first time around but beat Hartlepool 2-1 in the second.

FIXTURES (All 15.00 kick-off)

Brighton v Hereford, Carlisle v Peterborough, Cheltenham v Scunthorpe, Crewe v Milton Keynes Dons, Huddersfield v Bristol Rovers, Leyton Orient v Tranmere, Millwall v Leeds, Northampton v Yeovil, Oldham v Leicester, Stockport v Colchester, Walsall v Hartlepool.

BET

Southend (4/5) Draw (13/5) Swindon (9/2)

Bet of the Day: Yeovil 4/1 at Northampton, well they outplayed us for long periods and the Cobblers have been held, (oh grow up), three times out of five matches at home.

Blues now best of 11/2 for promotion after being 8's less than a month ago.

For a full update on all the footy odds go to www.oddschecker.com/football/english/league-one

HISTORY

Swindon Town Football Club was founded by Reverend William Pitt of Liddington in 1879. The team turned professional in 1894 and joined the Southern League which was founded in the same year.

Swindon reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in the 1909-10 season, losing to eventual winners Newcastle United. Barnsley F.C. and Swindon were invited to compete for the Dubonnet Cup in 1910 at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris. The result was a 2-1 victory for Swindon with Harold Fleming scoring both of the club's goals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:STFCSquad1911-1912.jpg

The following season, 1910-11, Swindon Town won the Southern League championship, earning them a Charity Shield match with the Football League champions Manchester United. This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8-4. Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the Titanic.

Swindon entered the Football League in 1920 as a founding member of Division Three and defeated Luton Town F.C. 9-1 in their first game of the season. This result stands as a record for the club in League matches.

In 1969 Swindon beat Arsenal 3-1 to win the League Cup for the first and only time in the club's history. As winners of the League Cup, Swindon were assured of a place in their first European competition: the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. However, the Football Association had previously agreed to inclusion criteria with the organizers which mandated that only League Cup winners from Division One would be able to take part. As the team were not eligible, the short lived Anglo-Italian competitions were created to give teams from lower divisions experience in Europe. The first of these, the 1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup, was contested over two legs against Coppa Italia winners A.S. Roma. Swindon won 5-2, with the scorer of two goals in the League Cup final - Don Rogers - scoring once and new acquisition Arthur Horsfield acquiring his first hat-trick for the club. The team then went on to win the 1970 Anglo-Italian Cup competition in a tournament beset by hooliganism. The final against S.S.C. Napoli was abandoned after 79 minutes following pitch invasions and a missile barrage, with teargas being employed to allow the teams to return to the dressing room.

Following management changes, Swindon had a long unsuccessful period culminating in them being relegated in 1982 to the Fourth Division, the lowest professional Football League at the time. They were eventually promoted as champions in 1986 with the club achieving a Football League record of 102 points, the second club to score over 100 points in a season, York City having totalled 101 two years earlier. A year later they won the Second Division play-offs to achieve a second successive promotion.

Promotion campaign Manager Lou Macari left in 1989 to take charge of West Ham United with veteran midfielder, and former Argentine international, Ossie Ardiles replacing him. In his first season Swindon were Second Division play-off winners, but the club later admitted 36 charges of breaching league rules, 35 due to illegal payments made to players, and were relegated to the Third Division — giving Sunderland promotion to the First Division and Tranmere Rovers to the Second Division. The scandal saw then chairman Brian Hillier being given a six-month prison sentence and chief accountant Vince Farrar being put on probation. A later appeal saw Swindon Town being allowed to stay in the Second Division.

Swindon progressed well during the 1991-92 season, Glenn Hoddle's first full season as manager, and just missed out on the Second Division play-offs. A year later they beat Leicester City 4-3 in the new Football League Division One play-off final to achieve promotion to the Premiership — bringing top-division football to the club for the first time. The club are one of the few domestic football teams never to have lost a game at Wembley Stadium.

Hoddle moved to Chelsea during the summer of 1993 and was replaced by assistant John Gorman, but Swindon never adjusted to the pace of Premiership football. They were relegated after recording only five wins and conceding 100 goals — the latter record has yet to be broken. The following year, Swindon were relegated for the second successive time and slipped into Division Two.

New manager Steve McMahon succeeded in getting Swindon back into
Division One on his first attempt, as they won the Division Two championship in 1996. McMahon remained as manager until September 1998, when he left by mutual consent after Swindon had lost 5 of the 9 opening games of the 1998-99 season. The club has then had eight managers in nearly eight years (Andy King was appointed twice), during which time they were relegated back into Division Two. They fully finished 5th in the 2003-04 season but failed in the promotion play-off stage and stayed in the same league, now renamed League One.

Caretaker manager Iffy Onuora was unable to save Swindon from relegation to League Two in 2006. Their relegation meant that they became the first ever former Premiership team to be demoted to the lowest Football League division.

Dennis Wise agreed to become the new Swindon Town manager in May 2006 following the relegation, with Gustavo Poyet joining the coaching staff. The pair left in October when it was announced that they had agreed to move to Leeds United. Adrian Williams and Barry Hunter took temporary charge until Paul Sturrock was appointed on 7 November. Sturrock guided Swindon to promotion to League One in his first season with the club, earning the third automatic promotion place in a 1-1 draw with Walsall in the last game of the 2006-07 season.

The club has been beset by financial difficulties throughout its history, having been placed into administration twice and also twice fought off winding-up orders from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise over unpaid tax-bills. The board currently have to make yearly payments of £100,000 to creditors (2% of the yearly turnover), and only managed to begin the 2006-07 season after sourcing £500,000 to pay for players' wages. The club is campaigning for the redevelopment of the County Ground to help finance the team and a takeover bid by a Fans' Consortium was launched in December 2005.

In 2008 Swindon Town was taken over by a consortium fronted by local businessman Andrew Fitton along with Jeremy Wray who appointed Maurice Malpas as the new manager after Sturrock returned to Plymouth. The consortium are in the process of clearing all debts which the Wiltshire faithful hope will enable the club to punch once again above its weight.

(Thanks to the usual suspects for their help with this article.)